Red and Black Fall to Newton North in First Loss of the Season

Author: Tommy Kowalczuk, WHS Class of '26

The Winchester girls volleyball team suffered their first loss of the season Friday night, falling to Newton North in a hard-fought four-set match.

Junior #16 Hazel Lovins , Junior #1 Defne Mergen, and Junior #7 Vivianna Cella celebrate a big point in the match against Newton North.

The Red and Black went down early, dropping the first two sets before rallying with renewed energy in the third. Winchester fought back to take that set convincingly, showing the determination and spark that has defined their season. Carrying that momentum into the fourth, the team kept pace through the first 20 points, but a long service run from one of Newton North’s servers swung the momentum for good. The match ended on a clever setter dump from Newton North’s junior setter, last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year, sealing Winchester’s first defeat.

Up until this matchup, Winchester was undefeated at 15–0, having dropped only two sets all season. The team has been led by dominant outside hitters Hazel Lovins and Maddie Crooks, whose attacking power has been key in maintaining the Red and Black’s offensive edge. In the middle, Johona Melhorn has been a consistent presence at the net, while setter Defne Morgen has kept the team’s offense flowing with sharp distribution and leadership on the court.

The rest of the roster continues to play a vital supporting role, giving Winchester the balance and depth that helped fuel their perfect start. While Tuesday’s match was a tough one, Newton North remains one of the top programs in Massachusetts — and there’s a strong chance these two teams could meet again in the postseason.

Despite the loss, the Red and Black remain focused and confident as they look ahead. With their first setback behind them, Winchester will aim to regroup, refine, and remind the state why they’ve been one of the most dominant teams all year.